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Comet Probe Begins to Drill

To collect scientific data.

It is a race against time hundreds of millions of miles away. As the European probe Philae runs out of battery life, it has begun to drill into the comet to collect scientific data. According to the scientists, the probe is now resting in a crater after bouncing for two hours after its initial successful landing. Unfortunately, this means that a cliff is blocking sunlight from reaching its solar panels, making it run on battery power. In addition, while the probe has managed to start collecting samples, the connection has been lost and the data has not been received. “Maybe the battery will be empty before we get contact again,” said Stephan Ulamec, Philae’s head of operations. Scientists say they believe the material in the comet could contain information about how our solar system formed.